Cap.



G. F. SARGENT.

CAP.

APPLLcATloN FILED MAR.10. 1916.

Patented une 2O Tm: coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co., WAsmNu'roN, D.

GRAFTON F. SARGENT, OF IEITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAP.

Application led March 10, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRAFTON F. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester' and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cap especially adapted for the use of baseball players, and the principal object thereof is to provide a light and inexpensive cap suitable for this purpose and capable of preventing serious injury to the skull by a pitched ball.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan of a cap constructed in accordance with this invention showing parts in section on a horizontal line slightly below the top of the cap; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same also showing a part insectional view, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the cork inserts of the preferred form.

The cap is shown as of a well-known general shape, but having a vertical outside wall at l0. Outside this wall is placed a course of cloth 1l of corrugated form, when located in its final position, for the purpose of forming parallel pockets for the reception of a plurality of vertical cork inserts 12 constituting cushioning members. These inserts, shown more fully in Fig. 3, are preferably of approximately semi-circular construction and are rounded off at the top, but flat at the bottom. Each one is inserted in one of the pockets formed by the corrugated member 11 with its flat side toward the wall 10. They are spaced equally all around the cap and located near enough together so that a ball cannot strike this wall without engaging at least one of the protecting members l2. The cloth member 11 is sewed to the cap wall 10 between each two cushions and the cap is preferably finished by bringing the cloth forming the member 11 up vover the top of t the inserts and it may be sewed to or integral with the top 13 of the cap.

With this construction it will be seen that a pitched ball cannot injure a batter or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 2U, i916.

Serial No. 83,389.

catcher to the extent that is possible with the ordinary baseball cap, so far as the range of protection of the device is concerned. A ball striking the cap directly or radially will usually engage one or twc of these cork pieces and its blow be accordingly very materially reduced so that the wearer will not greatly suffer from it. If the ball strikes a glancing blow it will be cushioned also in a similar manner.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single form of the invention and shown it as applied to only one design of baseball cap and have indicated only one particular material for it, I am well aware of the fact that the invention can be carried out for other purposes where protection is desired, that the shape of the parts and of the cap itself can be modified, and that other materials can be used without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited in these respects, but

What I do claim is l. As an article of manufacture, a baseball cap having a vertical circumferential wall and provided with a row of vertical cork cushions thereon and an outside cloth member for holding said cushions in position.

2. As an article of manufacture, a baseball cap having a cylindrical external wall provided with a row of vertical cushions equally spaced apart entirely around the outside thereof, and a corrugated member covering said cushions and secured to said external wall.

3. As an article of manufacture, a baseball cap having its external wall provided ,with a row of cushions equally spaced apart around the outside thereof, each of said cushions having a ilat inner surface and a convex outer surface and being located on the outside of the cap, and a corrugated textile member extending around and cover-- ing each of said cushions and secured to the exterior of the cap.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GRAFTON F. SARGENT.

@epics o 'this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. U." 

